Locking means for boxes.



0. ANDERSON.

LOCKING MEANS FOR BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11; 1914.

Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET] Fij a. I

v COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COnWASNlNflTON, D. C.

0. ANDERSON.

LOCKING MEANS FOR BOXES.

APPLICATION men JUNE 11.1914.

Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

0' fifi (Verso/7 OSCAR ANDERSON, OF CHELSEA, Wisconsin.

LocKINdMEANs' roe some:

Specification of Letters Patent? Patented Julyl'ii, 11915;

Application filed June '17, 1914; Serial No.1845 717;

To all whom/it may concern Be it known that I, OSCAR ANDERSON, a citizen of" the United States, residing at Chelsea, in the county of Taylor and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in' Looking- M'eansfor Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description" of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert'ains to make and use the same.

This invention relates broadly tolocking mechanism for boxesand has particular reference to devices of that character in which the locking means consist mainly of manually operable sliding bolts concealed inthestrncture of the box so that only the initiated can operate the same in order to gain access to the contents.

As a principal object this invention contemplates the provision of a box which shall be unlocked only by the operation of some such secret mechanism as above described and which at the same time shall present an outward appearance of the ordinary receptacle of this character.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such meansasare illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and" form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which like 'chara.cters-ofreference designate similar parts, Figural is a perspective view of a preferred form of this invention showing the same as it appears when locked, Fig; 2 is a similarQview but showing the box as it appears when the bolts have been manipulated in order to unlock the same and the lid thereof thrown back, Fig. 3 is top plan view of-' the device, Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the center ofthedevice.

In takingup thedescription of the*structural features of this invention reference will first be'had to'Fig. 1 in which the de vice is most clearly shown as an entirety and in which the deceptive appearanceof the 'lockingmeans is emphasized; The box and all the separate portions thereof are.

preferably formed of somehardenedme't'al' which is not only calculated to" resistf all attacks made on the locking mechanism but is alsm capable of receiving a higher degree of finish.- in: order to present: an: orna= mental appearance."

The box is provided witlr the: usual: side walls 5, end walls: 6 and bottom 7 which may be integral with each:. other on sepa-'- rately secured to form a: whole-which ever may be deemed preferable; To therear wallof the: stnuctu're is pivotally secured the top 8 by means of: the'hingesi9,thistopbeing: providedi with the integral depending flanges 10 which are adapted toclosely fit oven the upper portion of the sides and end walls of the box in order .to form artight-r J means of the boltsila' penetratingithe cover Y 8 and the plates 1'3f r7om the" underside of: the former and threadingly received suit?- ablesockets in' the ornamental knobs. 15. the latter also being: adapted toireceive theihandle- 16 by which the bozo may be carnied about. These sliding plates are 'disposed shown in Figs. 1 and 3" and have their meeting edges-'17 disposed at an: angle to both the transverse and longitudinal axes of the box so that'they are.-' capable of beingswung'as shown in Fig. 3; one 'in eachidirection to:reveal the slots l'l' and: 19% when-it? is desired to deposit coins in the bOX.

Turning now to the specific locking: means that has'been designed for use in connection with this boX a suitable rounded: molding 18' is provided on the two ends and the front of the box at" a point immediately below: the flanges 10" when the cover has been lowered over the: boX'a The-t=vvo por tions" of molding: se'cilred to the front side of the bOX are spaced as- 'shown at 1 9 and are provided withthe longitiidina'l aperituresi 20 inwhich the locking? bolt- 21: is adapted to'slidea The'spacethusleft at 1-9'isadapted' tobe filled: by the 'keeper 22 which is carried by the cover ofwthebox" and is* provided with the integral boss 23 likewise longitudinally apertured so that when the) cover isclosed down upon" the boxan unbroken passage will be provided for the reception of the bolt 21. Immediately below the position occupied by the keeper 22 when the box is closed, is positioned the false lock 24 provided with a key hole 25 in order to simulate an ordinary lock and thus lead astray the attention of those unacquainted with the real. locking process of the coin receptacle.

The locking bolt 21 which as before stated is adapted to slide in the longitudinal pas sage formed by the molding 18 on the front side of the box and the keeper 23, is provided at its upper extremity with a raised portion 26 and a rearwardly extending looking lug 27. The raised portion 26 is adapted to seat snug against the end of the molding 18 when the bolt is slid home in order to preserve the continuity of the surface while the locking lug 27 is adapted to be received in a cutaway portion 28 formed in the adjacent extremity ofthe molding 18 which is affixed to the sides 6. Suitable rounded outer coverings 29 having their meeting ends beveled as at 30 are adapted to be longitudinally slid on the molding 18 in order to cover every trace of the looking mechanism and it is only by first operating these coverings 29 that the box may be unlocked.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the accompanying drawings I have provided a tray 31 having side and end flanges 32 which is adapted to be received by the box in the manner shown. If desired. a transverse partition 34 may be provided to subdivide the tray into compartments and this partition may have connected thereto a handle 35 or other suitable means for the ready removal of the tray from the receptacle. It will be noted that the partition 35 by being thus placed in the center of the box is adapted to separate coins dropped through the smaller slot 11 from those inserted through the larger slot 12 which is offered as a. decided improvement over the old method of leaving the coins in a jumbled mass.

In operation my box is opened as follows: The curved covering 29 which corresponds to the ends 6 is slid to the rear on the molding 18 to assume the position shown in Fig. 2. The adjacent covering 29 is then slid outwardly from the molding 18 on the front portion of the box and is entirely removed therefrom, this covering not being shown in Fig. 2. The locking lug 27 is thereby released and may be rotated upwardly and outwardly through an angle of degrees in order to release it from the cut out portion 28. When it is so released nothing remains but to pull the locking bolt 21 outwardly in the passage 20 until the keeper 23 has also been released at which time the cover may be lifted and access had to the contents of the receptacle. A' reversal of these various processes of operation serve to lock the box securely and when the coverings 29 have been properly replaced upon their various moldings so that their beveled ends 30 are in conjunction with each other, the box to all outward appearances is controlled only by the false lock 24. To further add to the ornamentality of the box and also to prevent the corners thereof from scratching or other wise mar-ring the highly polished surfaces of bureaus, dressers, etc., with which they might otherwise come in contact, it has been found desirous to provide the metal knobs 36 which are rounded as shown in the drawing and serve to space the sharp edges of the box from the surface on which it rests.

il/hile in the foregoing I have thus illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification such combination and arrange ment of elements as constitute the preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire to emphasize the fact that I may make such minor changes in the matters of proportion and degrees, in later adaptations of my device as shall not alter the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a box, end walls and side walls therefor, a cover hinged to one of said side walls, a false lock for said cover fixed on the other of said side walls, an ornamental molding carried by said end walls and side walls, and actual locking means for said box hid den in saidmolding.

2. In a device of the character described, a a box, end walls and side walls therefor, a cover hinged to one of said side walls, a false lock for said cover fixed on the other of said side walls, a molding carried by said end walls and side walls, and a covering adapted to be slid longitudinally on said molding.

3. In a device of the character described, a box, end walls and side walls therefor, a cover hinged to one of said side walls, a false lock for said cover fixed. on the other of said side walls, an apertured molding carried by said end walls and side walls, and actual locking means for said box slidable in said molding.

4. In a device of the character described, a box, end walls and side walls therefor, a cover hinged to one of said side walls, a false lock for said cover fixed on the other of said side walls an apertured molding carried by said end walls and side walls, and a covering adapted to slide longitudinally on said molding.

5. In a device of the character described, a box, end walls and side walls therefor, a flanged cover hinged to one of said side walls, false locking means carried by the other of said side Walls to apparently coact with said cover a molding carried by said end Walls, similar appearing but apertured molding carried by said second side Wall and actual locking means adapted to slide in said apertured molding.

6. In a device of the character described, a box, end walls and side Walls therefor, a flanged cover hinged to one of said side walls, false locking means carried by the other of said side Walls to apparently coact with said cover a molding carried by said end Walls, similar appearing but apertured molding carried by said second side wall, actual locking means adapted to slide in said apertured molding, and curved coverings adapted to be longitudinally slid upon said molding to completely hide the same.

7 In a device of the character described, a box, end Walls and side Walls therefor, a flanged cover hinged to one of said side Walls, false locking means carried by the other of said side Walls to apparently coact with said cover, a molding carried by said end Walls, a similar appearing but apertured molding carried by said second side wall and actual locking bolt slidable in said apertured molding and a locking lug carried by said bolt at one extremity and adapted to coact with the unapertured molding of one of said end Walls to securely hold said bolt.

8. In a device of the character described, a box, end Walls and side Walls therefor, a flanged cover hinged to one of said side walls, false locking means carried by the other of said side Walls to apparently coact with said cover, a molding carried by said end Walls, similar appearing but apertured molding carried by said second side wall, an actual locking bolt slidable in said apertured molding and a locking lug carried by said bolt at one extremity and adapted to coact with the unapertured molding of one of said end walls to securely hold said bolt, and rounded coverings adapted to be longitudinally slid on both forms of said molding to completely hide the same.

9. In a device of the character described, a box, end Walls and side Walls therefor, a flanged cover pivoted to one of said side walls, false locking means carried by the other of said side Walls, a pair of solid pieces of molding, one of which is carried by each of said end Walls, a pair of longitudinally apertured pieces of molding carried by second said side Wall and spaced from each other, a locking bolt slidably positioned in said apertured molding and a keeper carried by said cover to apparently V coact With said false locking means but in reality to coact with said locking bolt;

10. In a device of the character described, a box, end Walls and side Walls therefor, a flanged cover pivoted to one of said side Walls, false locking means carried by the other of said side Walls, a pair of solid pieces of molding, one of which is carried by each of said end Walls, a pair of longitudinally apertured pieces of molding carried by second said side Wall and spaced from each other, a locking bolt slidably positioned in said apertured molding, a keeper carried by said cover to apparently coact with said false locking means but in reality to coact with said locking bolt, and rounded covering pieces adapted to longitudinally slide on both forms, said molding to completely hide the same.

In testimony Whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

OSCAR ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

